tgafandomcom-20200213-history
Maar Sul (nation)
This article is about the Kingdom of Maar Sul. For other uses, see Maar Sul. Maar Sul is a Third Age nation of city-states which currently shares borders with Libaterra in the east, Remon in the west and Scundia in the south. Its capital is Maar Sul City, and it is presently ruled by King Gerard Aurelac. The kingdom has a long and colourful history, and its founding marks the beginning of recorded history, which makes is the oldest existing nation in the Land of the Living. Maar Sul has also been a loyal supporter and one of the founding members of the Grand Alliance in the Third Age. History First Age Origins : Main article: Ancient Maar Sul In the First Age, Kagetsu I and several of his Andain friends built a city beside the Golden Lake from which Kagetsu had taken his surname Aurelac. He dubbed the city Maar Sul for a reason nobody remembers. It became a hub of commerce between the Andain and mortals and shared the continent with another nation, Barjassil. For his work in promoting interspecies harmony, Kagetsu was elected Lord of the Andain by his peers. The founding of Maar Sul began the Maar Sul Genesis calendar, and it is effectively when the written history of the Land of the Living truly began. A few years prior to the war years, Maar Sul annexed Barjassil at the behest of King Anshar of Barjassil who had left no heirs and who didn't want Barjassil to fall into the hands of the corrupt Court of Judges. War of the Andain Maar Sul sided with its founding father Kagetsu during the devastating War of the Andain to wrestle power from gods over to mortals. However, Kagetsu ended up being betrayed by his follower Amaranth during a decisive battle, and Taliesin, the commander of the Andain who remained loyal to the gods, sealed Kagetsu's soul away seemingly for all eternity. Maar Sul itself became a shadow of its former self in power in the aftermath of the war and eventually crumbled without Kagetsu's guidance while new nations rose in the once prosperous Maar Sulais kingdom's place, most notably Alent. The Andain, now led by Taliesin, withdrew from cities and kept a close watch on the mortal races from the shadows of the forests. Maar Sul had lost its power and prestige and was no more after the loss of Kagetsu, and matters would remain thus for thousands of years. Second Age Revival of Maar Sul Kagetsu was eventually released from his enchanted stone prison by the Andain Leon Alcibiates in the Second Age, and he slowly began gathering his strength. He aided various factions in conflicts such as the Manster Rebellion in order to gather enough allies to revive Maar Sul and restore it to its former glory. During Arawn Losstarot's rise to power, Kagetsu was busy rebuilding Maar Sul on the sly within the borders of Verdane. Eventually Maar Sul rose to become a powerful nation in its own right, and Kagetsu and his council of Andain once again ruled the revived nation. They were on their toes because of Taliesin's presence, however: both Andain lords were powerful and neither wanted a direct conflict with the other at this point so they merely sabotaged each other's efforts every now and then in discreet ways. Arawn Losstarot War Maar Sul was forced to aid Arawn in the Arawn Losstarot War when Arawn kidnapped Kagetsu's wife Marya and held her hostage. However, this alliance was short-lived because the archmage Raistlin II rescued Marya and made Kagetsu and Maar Sul join the Grand Alliance in exchange for keeping Marya safe. However, these events caused dissension among the ranks of the Andain council, and Maar Sul lost many of its Andain supporters to Taliesin who opposed Kagetsu out of principle, which weakened the Alliance military in the process and gave Arawn an edge in the war. Eventually the armies of Arawn and the Grand Alliance had a decisive battle at Lea Monde. The duel between Kagetsu and Arawn caused a giant Explosion which ended the war. The Explosion claimed the lives of Kagetsu, Arawn, all of the living Andain and even a sizable chunk of the world's population and gave birth to Innate Abilities. Although the continents shifted and new nations were eventually formed, Maar Sul survived the catastrophe for the most part, and the damaged districts of the great capital were quickly rebuilt. Kagetsu's heirs, the mortal House of Aurelac who only retained a fraction of their ancestor's power, would become heads of state and carry on Kagetsu's legacy albeit via peaceful means. Marya disappeared into the shadows entirely and was presumed to have perished in the Explosion with her husband. Third Age Distreyd Era Yamatian Occupation Maar Sul lived in prosperity until it was conquered by the armies of Yamato and the Clergy of Mardük during the Yamatian Invasion in the Third Age. King Remy Aurelac and his children--Princess Réin Aurelac and Princes Kagetsu II and Geraud Aurelac--fled from the city and began organizing a rebellion to drive the Yamatian invaders out. One of the Maar Sulais lords, Martin Struan, used the opportunity and staged a coup to become the new lord of Maar Sul with Yamatian backing. The first acts of his Struan Rebellion were to assassinate the Aurelacs, and this plan succeeded with Remy and Réin although Kagetsu II and Geraud managed to flee from the assassins. Great War The Yamatians made Martin Struan the regent of Maar Sul. Struan's reign as a puppet king was short-lived, however, because the Great War enveloped the world soon after, and the Grand Alliance infiltrated Maar Sul City after Remon had been liberated. Crown Prince Kagetsu II executed the treacherous Struan and became the new King of Maar Sul, and the Yamatian occupiers were eventually driven out. Maar Sul then joined the Alliance's ranks and helped it liberate other countries which were still suffering under the Yamatian yoke. Kagetsu II became one of the leading figures of the Grand Alliance alongside King Marcus Sarillius of Remon. However, Kagetsu II's reign was short-lived becuse he died during the First Battle of Vulpengaard Keep. Because Geraud was no longer around to inherit the throne either due to his sacrifice to become the Silverbranch Tree, and Kagetsu's son Gerard Aurelac was only an infant, Kagetsu's advisor and friend Leon Alcibiates was chosen to become the ruling Prince of Maar Sul until Gerard would come of age. Godslayer Era Maar Sul survived intact from the Cataclysm which ended the Great War. The nation stayed relatively peaceful apart from a few feuds between some noble families. Things changed in 1016 AE when Andrei Pronin's Proninist Party invaded Scundia and eventually took over most of Maar Sul's cities. It was around this time that Leon stepped down from the throne and crowned Gerard Aurelac as the new King of Maar Sul despite Gerard being only 13 at the time. The Proninists attacked Maar Sul City some time after Gerard's coronation, but they were driven back. The Grand Alliance entered the city later to reinforce nearby areas and drive out the Pronininst menace from Maar Sulais soil. The grateful Maar Sulais eagerly joined forces with their old Alliance comrades, becoming members of the new Grand Alliance just as they had been in the past. The Proninists allied with other dissidents around the same time, however, and formed the Crimson Coalition to oppose the Grand Alliance's growing power. The war between the Alliance and the Coalition is still ongoing on Maar Sulais soil. Maar Sul City has also had a devastating gang war between the Nightstalkers and Matheson Crime Family. Recently a new player had entered the Maar Sulais political field: Geraden Aurelac, Prince Geraud Aurelac's son and King Gerard's cousin, who was thought to have perished after the Yamatian Invasion, has emerged from the shadows and is now gathering his True Aurelac army in Port Dunross to take over Maar Sul City by force from Gerard whom he considers an incompetent weakling not fit to rule the proud nation of Maar Sul. Geography :See: Maar Sul Map (Distreyd Era), World Map (Godslayer Era) In the Third Age, Maar Sul is located far to the north in the Land of the Living. Borders are shared with Remon (southwest), Scundia (southeast), Libaterra (east) and the Khitan Khanate (north). The climate of Maar Sul varies greatly depending on the time of year. While the winters can be quite harsh, the summers are very warm. The desert of Scundia (located south of Maar Sul) stays warm throughout the winter, but few people from mainland Maar Sul bother to go to the desert. They prefer to leave the Scuns in peace. Demographics Overview The kingdom is ruled from Maar Sul City by the House of Aurelac who are direct descendants of Kagetsu I, the founder and first King of Maar Sul. Many languages are spoken in the kingdom, although all official correspondence and commerce must be conducted in Common by law. The horse-riding Khitans wander in the northeastern grasslands although more and more of them are settling into the large encampment/town called Kara Khitai and are led by the Khan. The seat of power for the overall area is in Maar Sul City which is ruled by King Gerard Aurelac. The Proninist Party has recently managed to invade some regions of the land, and the Party is currently in a stalemate with Maar Sul. The army of the Grand Alliance has marched from Remon to help Maar Sul, and the armies are currently trying to liberate various Maar Sulais cities from the Proninist Party which has recently joined forces with the Crimson Coalition. Peoples :See: Peoples Owing to its extreme age and global role in the past and the present, Maar Sul is a home to a vast array of people, and the kingdom's capital is the melting pot of many of these distinct cultures. Some of the well known concentrations of ethnic groups are in Kara Khitai, Port Dunross and Victoire. Maar Sul City :''See: Maar Sul (city) Maar Sul City, sometimes called just "The City", acts as the kingdom's capital and is also the biggest city in the kingdom with a diverse population. It is ruled by the House of Aurelac from the Citadel which is located in the city centre. Culture Overview Maar Sul is self-sufficient but far from wealthy. Although the cities acknowledge Maar Sul City as the capital of the kingdom, they are nevertheless semi-autonomous, and thus it can be said that the kingdom of Maar Sul is divided into various city-states who pledge loyalty to the crown. Owing to its extreme age, the kingdom is the home to a vast array of people, and many languages are spoken therein, although all official correspondence and commerce must be conducted in Common by law. The kingdom also employs a system of mandatory standardized education for citizens aged 6-16. Several post-secondary colleges of arts and magic exist in most major cities as well as military academies. One of the more notable ethnic minorities in the kingdom are the mostly nomadic, horse-riding Khitans who live in their autonomous area, the Khitan Khanate, which is located in Northern Maar Sul. After the Cataclysm, the Khitans have built a larger encampment in the heart of their territory and call it Kara Khitai. The khanate is presently ruled by Alghu Khan. Armor and Emblems Maar Sulais knights often wear armor or clothing with a mix of black and gold. The colours signify their loyalty to the House of Aurelac which uses the same colours in their coats of arms. The flag of Maar Sul follows a similar pattern, having a golden phoenix on a field of black as it is based on the ancient crest of the first Maar Sulais king, Kagetsu I. Anthem Maar Sul's anthem is called "Glory Reborn". Nomenclature Noble families are referred to as Houses by the Maar Sulais, even if they are foreign nobility. For example, a Maar Sulais would refer to Clan Mallorein as "House Mallorein." Maar Sulais influence on Scundia has caused Scuns to refer to all foreign nobility as Clans after this style. The typical way for a noble to refer to himself is "(FirstName) (LastName) de (Hometown)." Hence Gerard Aurelac de Maar Sul means that Gerard is of the family Aurelac, and is from Maar Sul City. Leon Alcibiates, upon his appointment as Prince Coronate, began styling himself as "d'Yggdrasil" after his rebirth into mortal form on the Isle of Yggdrasil (the original). Politics Military Armed Forces Maar Sul is militarily very strong owing to a large number of well-trained and equipped knights who are fanatically loyal to the House of Aurelac. The Maar Sulais cavalry is a very strong and cohesive unit, led by skilled veterans from the Great War. Maar Sul's navy was decimated in the Great War and in the disasters caused by the Cataclysm and has not recovered much as Maar Sulais make poor sailors. SAVAGE :See: SAVAGE The kingdom's elite military corps is called SAVAGE. It has several branches which specialize in different fields such as counterintelligence, propaganda and rescue missions. Foreign Relations Maar Sul has always had good relations with Remon. The two nations had been instrumental in helping each other during the time of troubles and have been the core nations of the Third Age's Grand Alliance. Until the Proninist invasion, Maar Sul tolerated and viewed Scundia as an ally. Maar Sul and Khasra III's Scun Loyalists are still on good terms, and Maar Sul has vowed to do anything in its power to liberate Scundia from Proninists. Maar Sul views Libaterra and Yamato with hostility thanks to the threats posed by the Crimson Coalition and the Yamato Empire and later the demon hordes. Maar Sul initially was on good terms with Aison until the Grey Cult's rise to power. When the role of High Prophet Xerathas d'Zarnagon in the kidnapping of King Gerard Aurelac was revealed, Maar Sul has become viewing Aison with even more suspicion than before. Notable Maar Sulais *Alghu Khan, Khan of Khitans *Bulugan Khatun, wife of Alghu *Amarawyn Jardine, leader of Jardine *Bernard Jeremy, governor of Hellespont *Elena Jeremy, daughter of Bernard and consort of King Gerard *Garth Tyrell, lieutenant of Geraden *House of Ardyn, members of Order of the Black Rose *House of Aurelac, ruling family of Maar Sul *House of Draco, notable noble family *House of Wisteria, notable noble family *Koschei Dravaris, duke and leader of Order of the Black Rose *Martin Struan, usurper during the Struan Rebellion *Matheson Crime Family, leaders of Matheson *Nivek Cheavin, leader of Nightstalkers *Rain, wandering adventurer See also *Battle of Maar Sul *Grand Alliance *Khitan Khanate *Maar Sul Map (Distreyd Era) *Maar Sul Gang War *Nightstalkers *SAVAGE *Struan Rebellion *World Map (Godslayer Era) Category:First Age Category:Grand Alliance Category:Maar Sul (faction) Category:Maar Sul (nation) Category:Nations Category:Second Age Category:Third Age Category:True Aurelac